Combination billfold and purse



' Oct. 13, 1942. E. HYATT COMBINATION BILLFOLD AND PURSE Filed Sept. 9, 1940 a m H N r e m Z ,U, 0 Z 2 m 2 d w y w M M ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 13, 1942 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,298,945 COMBINATION BILLFOLD AND PURSE Elmer Hyatt, Cleveland, Ohio, Application September 9, 1940, Serial No. 355,904

4 Claims.

The present invention has reference to containers such as billfolds and coin purses, and the object of the invention is to provide a combination device of this character adapted for holding both paper money and coins as well as other similar items, such as papers, cards and the like.

Accordingly, the invention comprises a folding container designed to be made from leather or like flexible material, to provide separate sections or compartments adapted for ready and convenient folding one into the other, and also having a partition portion adapted to maintain the contents in separated relation and furthermore to facilitate the opening of the device as well as the folding and fastening of the same in its closed or folded condition.

In carrying the invention into practice I have devised a compact and suitable reinforced construction, of a very handy and durable form, and which may be manufactured very economically and from relatively inexpensive materials.

With the foregoing general object in view, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a form of construction which I have found to be highly practical and eificient for the purposes of the invention; after which the features and combinations thereof deemed to be novel as well as patentable will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a combination billfold and coin purse constructed in accordance with the objects of this invention;

Figure 2 is a plan View of the device (with a portion broken away) illustrating it with its fastening means unlatched, and the device ready to be opened;

Figure 3 is a perspective view illustrating the device in fully-opened position; and

Figure 4 is a sectional view of the device in its folded or fully-closed condition.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, this illustrates the improved construction as comprising a piece of suitable flexible material, such as leather, of a size adapted to make use of reinforcing means as hereinafter described, and also to provide the double section or compartment feature of the construction, for both coins and bills as illustrated in Figure 3-in which the size of the device, in full-open position, is represented as slightly exceeding the length and breadth of the currency notes 8, now in general use.

In making up the device to provide such a folding case or container, use is made of a pair of U-shaped reinforcing bows I0 and Ill of suitably stiif and resilient compositionsuch as spring metal, for reinforcing the margins of the opposite half portions of flexible material comprising the case, which margins are folded over and around the bows so as to completely enclose the same and leave no exposed metal, as illustrated in Figure 3. When thus enclosed, the reinforcing members may be glued in place; or, if preferred, the looped margins may simply be;

sewed in conventional fashion. As shown, the,

middle transverse line l2 of the flexible material. is left free to flex to permit folding of the de-- vice from the position shown in Figure 2 (where.- it is illustrated as fully open) to the closed con-- dition illustrated in Figures 1 and 3.

The bows l0 and Ill thus provide raised side walls l4 and I4 for the separate sections or compartments l5 and ill, the latter compartmentproviding a coin or purse space for ordinary coins IT, and the other compartment 15 providing space for bills or currency notes 8, etc.

It is also to be noted that the bows l0 and I9 are of slightly different size for enabling the two sections of the case to be telescoped or folded one inside the other, as represented in Figures l and 2.

To act as a partition between said spaces or compartments l5 and I5, as well as to serve other functions hereinafter noted, I provide a piece or section of leather or equivalent flexible material 20, of the same width as said compartment i5, and having one end thereof stitched as indicated at 21, to the main body of the case, along or adjacent to the fold line l2, as shown in Figures 1 and 3. This construction thus provides a hinged partition member serving as a convenient door or closure for obtaining ready access to either of the compartments or spaces 15 and I 5 and at other times maintaining the contents of said compartments in separated relation. This partition member 2!! may also be provided with a clip 22 adapted to be inserted through an opening 24 in the partition, for engaging and holding bills 8 at one side thereof,

and also cards 26 and the like at the opposite I side of said partition (Figures 3 and 4). I

The free end of the partition member 29 may be extended, in tapered form, to provide a terminal flap or tab portion 28 having an eye or opening 30 for fitting over one of the elements of a snap fastening device 31 secured to the outside of the section I5 of the case. The other element 32 of the snap fastening is carried by a tab 33 secured to the outside of the other section l of the case. Consequently, in securing the case in closed or folded condition, the tabs 28 and 33 are folded together over on to the outside of the section I5, the eye or opening 30 fitting over the snap element 31, after which the parts are latched together by the snap element 32 (containing the socket portion of the fastener) snapping on to the element 3|, all as illustrated in Figure 4.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that a very neat and compact construction, of just the right size and shape, is provided for carrying out the desired objects of my invention. In its closed condition, it fits conveniently into the hand as illustrated in Figure 1, where it is represented in the position best adapted for opening. For this purpose, the thumb is pushed up under the end of the flap or tab 28 to raise it slightly and thus facilitate its being grasped by the other hand to lift the tab and thereby pull apart the fastening elements 3| and 32 of the snap fastener. Then, without any lost motion or pause or interruption of the opening movement, the continued pull on the tab swings the sections 15 and I5 of the case open and exposes the coins l! in the purse or coin section or compartment l5; and obviously the coins I! are thus presented in the most natural position for gaining access thereto; that is, just as one would naturally hold loose coins in the palm of the hand. At the same time the cards 26, etc., are exposed, and accessible, on the exposed face of the partition member when in this position. On the other hand, to gain access to the bills etc. in the other compartment, the partition section 2!) is simply swung backward over the coins, to open up the bill space or compartment I5, whereupon the bills 8 may readily be inspected or detached from the clip 22 as desired.

The fastening construction performs several functions. The tab 33 and snap fastener provide means for securing the device in closed re lation; the construction and arrangement of the tab 28 also provides for latching said tab 28 at the same time, by the same fastening means, but in addition said tab 28 also provides means for facilitating the opening up of the case by disengaging the elements of said fastening means and thereafter pulling the sections I5 and I5 apart into open position; and the tab 28 further serves as a convenient hold element for swinging the partition member 2!) as required, back and forth between said sections [5 and [5. Moreover, it will be noted that the partition member 28, being of the same width as the compartment or section I5 insures centering of the eye or opening 30 for bringing it over into proper relation for fitting over the snap element 3| in closing the case. The leather stock for the partition section of the device is intended to be heavy and strong enough to serve the functions above noted in a satisfactory manner and without any reinforcing of either the eye or hole 30 or of the opening 24- for the clip member 22.

A single element is thus made to serve a double purpose in the use of the clip member 22 having its arms or prongs extending through and to the opposite faces of the partition member 20, and operating in a most effective manner, not only for storing and holding the bills 8 and other cards 26 in place but also selectively displaying these at the opposite sides of the same movable partition so that they are readily available to the user.

While the foregoing represents what I have found, from actual use and experience, to represent a very satisfactory and efficient form of construction for embodying my aforesaid improvements, it is of course obvious that minor changes and modifications may be made in the construction without departing from the essential scope of the invention; as, for example, conventional sewing or stitching or other means of reinforcing the margins of the device around the edges of the respective compartments may be used to produce corresponding results in the form of raised and reinforced margins, or side walls, as shown. I therefore do not desire to be limited to the specific construction herein illustrated, but reserve the right to make such changes or variations as may be fairly deemed to fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A combination billfold and coin purse comprising a folding case made in two sections with one section folding into the other and providing separate coin and bill compartments, a flap secured to the fold line of the sections and serving as a partition between said compartments, and exterior fastening means for securing the case in folded condition and comprising separable fastening elements carried by the respective folding sections of the case at the exterior thereof, said flap having an exterior tab portion also engaged by said fastening means and manually operative to separate and release said fastening means to allow opening of the case.

2. A combination billfold and coin purse comprising a folding case in two sections folding one into the other and providing separate coin and bill compartments, a flap secured to the fold line of the sections and serving as a partition therebetween, and exterior snap fastening means for securing the case in folded condition, said flap having a projection forming an exterior tab portion provided with an opening for allowing interengagement of the elements of said fastening means and also manually operative to disengage and release said elements to allow opening of the case.

3. A combination billfold and coin purse comprising a strip of flexible material having the edges of the opposite half-portions thereof reinforced to provide raised walls forming separate compartments foldable about the middle transverse line of said strip for telescoping the compartments one inside the other, a flap secured to said middle transverse line of said strip and providing a partition between said compartments, and separable fastening means at the exterior of the respective folding sections for securing the same in folded and telescoped relation, said flap having an exterior tab portion engageable with said fastening means and manually operative for manipulating the flap into closure relation to either of said compartments, and alsofor disengaging and releasing said fastening means to allow opening of the purse.

4. A combination billfold and coin purse comprising a strip of flexible material having the edges of the opposite half-portions thereof reinforced to provide raised walls forming separate compartments foldable about the middle transverse line of said strip for telescoping the compartments one inside the other, a flap secured to said middle transverse line of said strip and providing a movable partition between said compartments, a snap fastening element carried by the exterior of one of said compartments, and a flexible tab elements attached to the exterior of the other of said compartments and provided with a snap fastening element adapted to cooperate with said first fastening element, said flap having an exterior tab portion in position for engagement by said fastening elements in their fastened relation and operative to disengage and separate said fastening elements to permit opening of the purse.

ELMER HYATT. 

